Though they rarely make the news, Combat Medics are some of the most critical people in the military and have completely changed how injuries are handled in the battlefield. Before the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, very few military personnel had combat casualty training and the nearest medics were a ways away from the fighting.

The United States has implemented a 3-day training program for every single person in the military, regardless of job specialty. The program teaches life-saving first aid skills and has helped increase the survival rate of combat injuries.

Furthermore, each Army company includes 4 to 5 combat medics who travel alongside the troops and can provide immediate medical assistance. The combat medics work closely with forward surgical teams and can provide medical evacuations in fewer than 20 minutes, a huge improvement from 10 years ago.

Even though they are medical professionals, medics often risk their lives to reach an injured person. Many soldiers today are surviving injuries that would have been fatal a few short years ago and are alive because of the quick response and training of combat medics.